英语分析散文中的修辞手法

Ⅰ. Lexical Anaphora

E.g. ＂Youth is not a time of life；it is a state of mind；it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees ；it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions；it is the freshness of the deep springs of life. ＂

The ＂it is…; it is…; it is…; it is…＂shows the pattern (a…)(a…). By repeating, it helps tone and meaning.

E.g. ＂so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, courage and power from man and from the infinite, so long as you are young. ＂

The ＂so long as…,so long as＂shows the pattern (a…)(a…), either.

Ⅱ. Parallelism

⒈Across sentences

E.g. ＂Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy

cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life. ＂

These sentences are in parallel. We can find they have similar patterns, and

have the same importance to this paragraph. It makes the paragraph orderly and clearly.

⒉Within a sentence

E.g. (1) ＂it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees＂

(2) ＂it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions ＂

(3) ＂In the center of your heart and my heart＂

(4) ＂so long as it receives messages of beauty , hope , courage and power from man and from the infinite＂

We can find in these parallel constructions, it is to balance word for word

(noun with noun, adjective with adjective), phrase with phrase. The parallel construction gives us emphasis, clarity, coherence of ideas and the rhythm of language.

Ⅲ. Antithesis

E.g. (1) ＂Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind.＂

(2) ＂it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions.＂

This two sentences use ＂it is ＂＂it is not ＂to make antithesis. It can achieve force and emphasis.

(3) ＂Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. ＂

This sentence make a contrast between two concepts that what can be bring about by years and giving up enthusiasm.

Ⅳ. Assonance

E.g. ＂it is not a matter of rosy cheeks , red lips and supple knees . ＂

The word ＂cheeks ＂＂lips ＂＂knees ＂are resembled in vowel sounds. And it has created a musical rhythm.

Ⅴ. Metaphor

E.g. ＂it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.＂

It compared youth to the freshness of the deep springs of life. So we can understand the youth further more.

Ⅵ. Synecdoche

E.g. ＂Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart and turns the spirit back to dust＂ Here ＂dust ＂ means nothing, it want to tell us worry, fear, self-distrust defeat the spirit, break down the spirit.

E.g. ＂Whether 60 or 16, there is in every human being’s heart the lure of

wonders ＂

In this sentence, ＂60＂＂16＂are standing for the old and the young.

Here, it uses the part for the whole.

Text:

Youth

Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.

Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart and turns the spirit back to dust. Whether 60 or 16, there is in every human being’s heart the lure of wonders, the unfailing appetite for what’s next and the joy of the game of living. In the center of your heart and my heart, there is a wireless station; so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, courage and power from man and from the infinite, so long as you are young.

The Paper of English Rhetoric

Major: 对外汉语 Name: 李佳铭

Student Number: 201015614